If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

recent burglery attempt(s)

So after 3 WONDERFUL days on 2 different lakes Memorial Day Weekend, we crashed in bed monday night... At 4 am my wife (5 mo. pregnant) gets up and I hear a blood curdling, extremely panicked yell "There's somebody out there!!!"

Turns out she'd thought she heard a vehicle in the driveway and got up to look, since it was nice out and the windows were open, and the moment she peered thru the blinds she saw a guy dressed in black head to toe a few feet from our bedroom window walking towards the back of the house. Scary part is that her scream/yelling didn't even seem to bother him. These guys even had the balls to drive down 400' of driveway right up in front of my van and attached garage!!!

So, I naturally fly outta bed to the window and start yelling at them to get outta here. I never saw the guy (or 2?) walking cuz when she yelled the person in the truck flipped on the headlights (which grabbed my attention) and proceeded to turn around. Again, the driver wasnt in a hurry either. Didn't drive over my bushes or haul butt, just casually did a 3 point turn to turn around and drove off. VERY crazy and un-nerving. Not sure if the guy on foot hopped in the back when he was turning around? I saw that it was an early 90's Chevy that was blue and silver with a loud exhaust. not knowing where the guy on foot was, I proceeded to my closet to try to find my shotgun, which didn't even have a barrel installed on it. Somewhere during this time, I wiped something across my left eye and scratched 40% of my cornea Cops showed up 1 hour later (since we ran them off they said we weren't a priority and that we should let them break into whatever they're going to do and call them and tell them burglary in progress...Whatever...) Said there was nothing they could do even if the guys were still there since no crime was committed. I had sat on the back porch with the shotgun til the police got there.

Well, my wife's STILL freaked out today, and doesn't sleep much at night still. That Tuesday night I came home with a nice, new Ruger 38 special and ammo, and Wed. night with a nice lightly used CZ75B 9mm (looks new). Yesterday we picked up a family dog, a 9 mo. old housetrained German Shepherd/Lab mix. Pretty white dog that loves all the kids. Everyone in the house 5+ years old has shot both guns, and all 12+ are familiar with where they are and how to use them.

Oh yes, so a couple days after it happens, some guys (characters) part a red 2-door Mitsubishi in the neighbors driveway mid-day and stop in and ask my wife if they can cut the grass. No mowing equipment, wearing sweatpants. No, she didn't open the door for them, just cracked a window. After she told them "no" they proceeded to ask questions about lawn equipemnt and stuff, to which she told them none of their business and please leave. They took off quickly and she was unable to get a plate number.

Of course, I had to go out of town for a few days for work. One night she said she heard an engine running again and thought she saw lights in the kitchen, and when she got up there was a vehicle leaving the neighbor's driveway, but there's no turn-around in their driveway.

In talking with many neighbors, this silver truck has been run off from other houses on our road (we're not really in a neighborhood so to speak) and been seen casing a neighborhood nearby.

Dang man - that whole scenario sucks in the worst way. I would think with that much activity you could get a sheriff out there making their presence known way more frequently.

You want them there quick - tell the dispatcher whoever it is that's uninvited is exposing themself to your children. Hell even if it were just taking a pee in the bushes. They'll come in a hell of a hurry from what I've been told. Your word against theirs but at least the cops get their quickly...

Yea, not sure how moral that is, but a neighbor clued me in to it. Had problems with some of his neighbors 20-somethings having a loud party. Getting out of hand. Tried to play it cool, talked to the them and they were acting like a bunch of tough guy douche bags basically giving him the f-off. Called the cops and they said something like, sorry more important things going on. He then told them one of the guys was taking a piss in the bushes right in front of his kids in the yard and within 5 minutes he had 3 patrol cars there. Apparently that is the equivalent of exposing yourself.

Depending on how far away your neighbors are I'd be tempted to talk to them and share a night watch schedule of some sort if that's feasible for a few weeks. Some sleep is better than no sleep?

You may want to look at a Crimson Trace Laser for your handgun. Yelling and screaming are one thing, but a red dot on your (or your buddy's) chest is something else. Also, 400' is nothing, so the driver gets a little something too.

For $200, it will give you (and your wife) more confidence. For $100, you definately need night sites.

In the end though, if my gun comes out, odds are the bad guy won't ever see the laser.

Once everyone is home & in bed for the night, I'd lay a tack strip down at the top of that 400' of driveway you've got. Put a "No Trespassing" and/or "Private Property" sign just in front of it. Sit back & listen for the pops.

I got my 2 dogs, and so fare they have never barked in the middle of the night warning of people where they shouldn't be, but God help who ever comes into my house uninvited, because between the 2 dogs, and my pistol there will be no mercy in my household

if it was my house, in addition, I'd add some motion lighting for people coming down the driveway and invest in a camera system. my sister bought the $250 4-camera/harddrive setup from costco. it has amazing night vision and a 30day harddrive. more importantly, you can log in from anywhere you have wifi/internet including your phone. gave them peace of mind when she was in the duplex and squatters were dealing meth..

ill keep it simple for me..i have a H&K USP 45 tactical along with a insight laser/ light attached..so if that guy ever step foor in my back yard or peeked into my boat/ garage i will yell out a warning, then a warning shot..and i know if he hears that 45cal rip off he will run..but if he endangers my fam i have no problem shooting him